


Bone of Contention

by misaffection



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-30
Updated: 2011-05-30
Packaged: 2017-10-19 22:16:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/205811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misaffection/pseuds/misaffection
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He is still unsure of who he is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bone of Contention

He is still unsure of who he is. Vala calls him Baal, then immediately corrects herself, but it truly doesn’t bother him – he was Baal for a long time. He still is, at least as far as memory serves.

Vala says there’s not much difference. He could have told her that. He’s tried to explain, but she refuses to listen – the idea that it could have been a choice is too much of a stretch for her.

Unspoken, it’s become a bone of contention. She rails against the truth because Qetesh gave her no choice. He regrets that, even though it wasn’t his fault.

“I don’t know how sorry you wish me to be,” he says. The air is still fraught with yet another argument that skirted around the issue at hand. He paces, because he cannot stay still.

Vala keeps her back to him. He suspects she’s crying, or has been.

“It’s not fair,” she says, and her voice is husky. The pain in it hurts him, but there is nothing he can do to take it from her. “How could you possibly opt for... that?”

“I didn’t,” he reminds her. “The choice was his, but he had his reasons.” He looks at her. “None of which you really want to hear, Vala.”

“No, but...” Hauling in a deep breath, she squares her shoulders. Tears streak her cheeks and he wants nothing more than to wipe them away. “I forget that you aren’t him. It’s so hard to move past how you look and the memories that aren’t mine but are still so real.”

“I do understand. Most of the memories I have are ones I did not live.” He reaches out to her, is gratified when she moves into his arms. “I am truly sorry for what Qetesh put you through, but had she not then we would not know each other. And I am very glad to have met you, Vala.”

Her expression softens. “I’m sorry. It wasn’t even your choice, it was his. You are a copy of that, but that doesn’t make you him.” Her eyes bore into his. “Unless you choose to be.”

“My name is Elias,” he says and then plants a brief kiss on her forehead. “Though there’ll always be a little Baal inside me. As Qetesh remains in your head.”

Vala winds her arms around him and smiles. “I can live with that.”

“Sure?”

“Absolutely.”

He grins and this time kisses her mouth.

And this time it’s not brief.


End file.
